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Sports Brief: Twins split with Eagle River

Posted: Monday, July 12, 2010

By Staff Report

The American Legion Twins split a doubleheader with host Eagle River on Sunday, winning the conference game 9-4 before losing the nonconference game 13-2 in a game shortened to five innings due to the mercy rule. The Twins are now 9-7 in the conference and 14-22 overall after completing a stretch of 12 games in nine days.

In the conference game, the Twins relied on the arm of starter and winner DJ Stilchen, who pitched six innings and gave up three runs on three hits. Stilchen had left Thursday's game with Service early after taking a line drive to the ankle, but clearly had recovered by Sunday.

"DJ threw a really strong ballgame," Twins manager John Butler said. "He had his best outing of the year."

On offense, Braden Price was 1-for-2 with two runs, Mitchell Thompson was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Josiah Covey was 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.

The Twins had just five hits in the game, but Butler said the Twins were hitting the ball well, but also hitting the ball right at fielders.

In the second game, Butler said the Twins continued a troubling trend of getting blown out after winning the first game. Eagle River scored all 13 of its runs in the first inning off eventual loser Dylan Sterling and reliever Thompson. In that inning, there were eight walks, three hit batters and two errors.

"If you start the game in the second inning, we would have won 2-0," Butler said. "The other coach and the umpire wouldn't let us do that."

Thompson was 2-for-2 in the game, while Covey was 2-for-3 and Tay Harling had both RBI.

The Twins travel to Mulcahy Stadium in Anchorage for a single game at noon on Tuesday.